Capcom unveils Viewtiful Joe 2

Capcom USA has finally announced Viewtiful Joe 2 for PS2 and GameCube, after reports of its development originally appeared early in March. The scrolling beat-'em-up sequel will appear on both platforms this winter, with a co-operative mode and various new VFX tricks amongst the new weapons in its arsenal. On bringing the game to the PS2 as well as the original Cube platform, VJ creator Atsushi Inaba said yesterday that he simply wanted more people to see the game. He also nipped speculation over platform-specific bonuses in the bud, stating, "The game will have the same content for both platforms."

And what a lovely lot of content it seems to be. Fans of the brilliant original will remember only too well how intricate and well designed the combat and particularly the combo system was, and how Joe's VFX powers allowed him to slow down time and dodge attacks rather satisfyingly, and by the sound of it the developer has really built on those foundations. Superhero Joe's girlfriend Silvia has been thrown into the mix, for a start, and will be playable right from the beginning of the game. Her presence also paves the way for the co-operative mode, and Inaba believes it "has added a lot of depth," and promises combos of such cunning and intricacy that we can barely begin to imagine.

Levels this time will be set in a jungle, underground ruins, ancient Japan, snowy mountains and even outer space, where Inaba hints that the game begins. Along the way he'll be able to transform his Six Machine into a racer, a cannon, a drill and even a submarine in certain areas, and a new "Replay" VFX power will allow Joe to triple the effects of his attacks and power-ups, which sounds like a brilliant way to round off a massive combo...

In development since last summer, Viewtiful Joe 2 will certainly make an appearance at E3 next month, and we'll be on hand to bring you our impressions. In the meantime, we expect to see and hear a lot more about the game in the coming days.